Charles K. Gifford (Chad)

Charles K. Gifford (Chad) is Chairman Emeritus of Bank of America. He served as Chairman of the Corporation from April 1, 2004 until his retirement on January 31, 2005. He continued to serve as a Director of the Corporation until April 26, 2016, when he retired from the Board.

Jesse Solomon

Mr. Solomon co-founded and directed Boston Teacher Residency since its inception in 2003. Mr. Solomon was a founding teacher at City on a Hill Public Charter School, one of the first charter school in Massachusetts, serving as head of the math department, lead teacher for curriculum and instruction, and a member of the board of directors. He taught secondary math in urban schools for ten years, and is a National Board certified teacher. He serves on the Board of Directors for Cambridge College and UP Academies Boston/Dorchester, and is a member of Deans for Impact.

Maura Banta

Ms. Banta has worked in marketing, sales, and community relations at IBM since 1973. She is currently responsible for IBM's corporate philanthropy, government relations, and community relations. She also serves as a board member to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, United Ways of New England, Mass Taxpayers Foundation, Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, and the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. Ms. Banta has served as chair of the board of the Mass Business Alliance for Education.

Tammy Battaglino

Former Senior Partner and Co-Head Education Practice, The Parthenon Group

Ms. Battaglino co-leads the firm's Education Practice. She has advised clients on issues related to operational excellence, strategy development, and new venture creation. Her clients include a wide range of organizations from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, and some of the world's largest foundations. While at Parthenon, Ms. Battaglino has worked extensively with companies in the information and education sector, partnering with clients spanning the K-12, higher education, and corporate training continuum. Ms. Battaglino holds an A.B. in Economics from Harvard College. She received her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and her M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Richard Burnes

Mr. Burnes is a Founding Member and General Partner at Charles River Ventures, one of the nation’s major venture capital firms. Mr. Burnes is a trustee of Boston’s Museum of Science, The Boston Foundation, and Vice Chair of the Sea Education Association. He brings extensive experience in the areas of organizational development and leadership.

Reverend Gregory Groover

Reverend Groover was appointed to the Boston Public Schools School Committee in 2007 and was elected Chair in 2009. He serves as chairman of the Education Committee of the Black Ministerial Alliance in Boston, president of the board at Roxbury Renaissance Center, and board member for YMCA or Greater Boston and Gordon College. A Roxbury resident, Reverand Groover is also a Boston Public Schools parent.

Ellen Guiney

Ms Guiney led BPE as its executive director for 15 years, introducing a focus on teacher development and a whole-school approach to change. Prior to her work at BPE, Ms. Guiney was Chief Education Advisor to the United States Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources and one of the Democratic staff leaders on the reauthorization of Goals 2000 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1995. A former high school English teacher, Ms. Guiney served as education advisor to Mayor Ray Flynn during Boston’s transition to an appointed school board.

Makeeba McCreary

Chief Of Learning And Community Engagement

Kerry H. Sullivan

Kerry Herlihy Sullivan is President of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, whose mission is to help advance economic mobility for individuals, families and communities in order to create thriving communities across the company’s global footprint. In this role, Sullivan leads a team responsible for philanthropic strategy in support of the company’s commitment to responsible growth through a focus on environmental, social and governance factors. The Foundation is delivering on a ten-year $2 billion philanthropic giving goal, with a particular focus of serving low-income communities and vulnerable populations.

Sullivan manages strategic relationships with philanthropic partners addressing pressing issues of workforce and education, community development, and basic needs. She leads the company’s signature philanthropic programs which recognize the community leadership and service of nonprofit organizations and students in 45 markets across the U.S., with more than $200 million invested since 2004. In addition, Sullivan is responsible for Bank of America Community Volunteers, the company’s global volunteer program which deploys employees as engaged citizens across local communities.

With more than 25 years of experience, Sullivan is recognized as an expert in the field of charitable giving. Prior to joining the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Sullivan managed Philanthropic Management Foundation Advisory Services at the company —a team responsible for distributing more than $300 million in charitable grants on behalf of clients. Under her leadership, the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation distributed more than $85 million in charitable grants predominantly to organizations aimed at improving access to education for underserved populations.

She currently serves on the National Board of Directors of Year Up; Mentor, the National Mentoring Partnership; Points of Light; BPE, the Boston Plan for Excellence; the GreenLight Fund; and serves as Chair of the Summer Fund – a donor collaborative that raises annual support for summer programs to benefit Boston’s inner city youth.

Sullivan has a BA in English from the College of the Holy Cross-Worcester, Massachusetts, and earned her MBA from Boston College, Carroll School of Management. She resides in Sudbury, MA with her husband and two daughters.

Mission

Boston Plan for Excellence drives exceptional outcomes for all students by developing great teachers and great schools.